Keeping the "Bad Sounds"Away - Talking About TheAcoustic Space

Whenever you speak to your microphene,the mic bai

your voice, and the space you are in. If that space is a small

room with hard walls, a distinctly "hollow" sound will become

part of your recording. You may sound like you are recording

in a cave or a tunnel.

We want to hear what you have to say, but we don't want to

hear the sound of your room. Recording studios and radio

stations expend a lot of effort to tame the room. Dense

fiberglass panels are often attached to the walls and ceiling,

so that much of the sound that hits the walls gets absorbed,

and doesn't bounce back to the mic. Additionally, bumpy foam

rubber panels attempt to reduce some of the high frequency

reflections.

That's the ideal approach, if you have a permanent recording

location, and the budget for such things. But broadcasters

often find themselves in acoustically "imperfect" conditions.

What can you do to keep the sound under control?

Keep the mic close to he sound source. 4-8 inches from the mouth

is typically the "sweetspot for spokenvoice. Your voice will

dominate the soundfield the mic ishearing. Any noisesfrom the

environmentwill be significantlyless.

ZOOM callers often speak to their computer's built-in mic, rather

than a handheld. The computer's mic is quite a distance away,

and has a greater chance of hearing other sounds at least as loud

as you. Take the effort to connect your handheld mic to the

computer; it will make a world of difference in clarity.)

If the room sounds are still heard, try using a mic processor.

Judicious use of the downward expander feature can

dramatically reduce the background noise, while still sounding

very natural. The mic processor also provides compression

for a consistent audio level, and some additional functions to

add some extra polish to your sound.

You've got something important to say. We want to be sure it's

heard as clearly as possible. Give me a call... we'll talk about

talking.